“Some 80 percent of Palmyra residents have been evacuated, we are concerned with the fate of those who are remaining there,” Barazi said in a statement on Sunday.

Barazi noted that the Syrian army with allies is regrouping promptly, suggesting that control over Palmyra could be reestablished in the near future.

On Saturday, ISIL reportedly reentered the ancient city, although the Russian Defense Ministry said fighting was underway in Palmyra’s outskirts. The terrorists were driven back by Russia’s Aersopace Forces. The Russian Defense Ministry’s reconciliation center said it was not targeting residential areas.

On Sunday, local sources reported that the Syrian army was still fighting ISIL in city suburbs after residents had been evacuated. According to the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation, more than 4,000 ISIL militants have regrouped and attempted to reclaim Palmyra.